"At St. Stephen's Church, we embrace God's family in our fellowship,
fostering a warm and authentic community. We joyfully welcome new
believers into the body of Christ through the sacrament of baptism. Our
desire is for the love that Christ showed on the cross to flow out of our
lives, impacting the community.
St. Stephen’s Church in Nanmangalam, Chennai, was built through the
efforts of Rev. Fr. Joseph Mangatt and was blessed by the Most Rev. Dr.
A. Neethinathan, Bishop of Chingleput, on March 25, 2003. Initially, it
served as a sub-parish of St. Lourdes Church, Madipakkam, and was
elevated to a parish in 2013 by the same Bishop.
In the Chingleput Diocese, this church holds the distinction of being the
only one named after St. Stephen, a Deacon, and the first Christian martyr
of the Church. He was stoned to death in the first century, as recorded in
Acts 7.
Rev. Fr. Selvam Bellarmin was appointed as its first parish priest. Following
Rev. Fr. N.R. Charles's tenure as parish priest, Rev. Fr. Terry Stephen
assumed the role, taking over the responsibilities after Rev. Fr. Charles's
unfortunate passing.
In May 2021, Rev. Fr. G. Prabhudoss assumed the role of Parish priest.
With the support of the Parish council and parishioners, he spearheaded a
substantial interior renovation of the church. The church was granted
permission for the renovation by Rev. Dr. A. Neethinathan, Bishop of
Chingleput, who gave his blessings for the endeavor. The consecration
took place on September 23, 2021, with the blessings of Very Rev. Fr. Arul
Raj, former Vicar General, Diocese of Chingleput.
This parish consists of 350 families and is served by a parish council
association and several ministries. These ministries cater to the needs of
both parishioners and the wider community, offering religious education
programs for children, youth groups, and other activities aimed at fostering
spiritual growth and community engagement.